If you read the news regularly, you have definitely heard of various water crises around the world. A quarter of humanity Many people live in countries where there is a risk of running out of water, and experience the effects of drought. The devastating wildfires that clean the world every year.
2025 Los Angeles wildfires It is estimated to have caused $250 billion The damages demonstrated an increasing threat of fire and a decline in the ability of water infrastructure to meet new needs. During 2018 Cape Town’s water crisisSouth Africa, reservoirs were very decreasing, so residents were asked to reduce their water usage. 13.2 gallons per day. In comparison, the average American family uses it Over 300 gallons of water per dayor 80-100 gallons per person. That’s an amazing difference. Between the shower, the laundry, and the lawn watering, we use a huge amount of water.
However, with the looming drought around the country, we should probably take some steps to reduce consumption. Are you interested in how much water you use every day? Take a little time to use this A handy calculator From USGS. Once you know how much water you use every day at home, take a look at some of the following tips on how to reduce your consumption.
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How to save water in your home
In most homes, the bathroom is where most water is consumed. The kitchen is generally very close, with the laundry room being a third. Each of these rooms has tactics that can be used and devices to purchase, which will help to curb water use.
Considering these ways to reduce water use, don’t forget to take a small step. Choose a few and slowly reduce your water use over time. Kick things off in the bathroom.
Save water in the bathroom
The shower/bathtub is probably one of the biggest water pigs in your home. Especially if there are multiple people living there who shower every day. A 5-minute shower can be used at least 25 gallons if you use a traditional shower head. This will start the shower first when you are trying to reduce water consumption.
First, install a low-flow shower head. The latest iterations bring in great pressure while significantly reducing water usage. If you’re looking for the ultimate budget-friendly shower head This is due to Niagara It’s a great choice. With the 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 gallons per minute (GPM) options, this shower head allows you to switch between it to find the flow you like. Niagara makes this too 1.25 gpm shower head It’s budget-friendly and has fewer moving parts, making it less likely to break from regular shower wear.
High Sierra Water Sense The shower head is another great option to use water at a speed of 1.8 gpm. It’s a little more expensive than the Niagara one, but it offers the perfect spray for a comfortable shower.
But my personal favorite is Delta 2 Setting Shower Head. It flows at 2.5 gpm, which may sound excessive, but there is a simple lever that you can move to drip the flow. This allows you to jump in, get wet, move the lever, run water, and put the lever back in and rinse. It brings great pressure while helping you save water.
Once you have installed a low-flow shower head, you can use some of these other tips to reduce your water consumption.
- Once you start the shower first, you can catch this water by placing a small bucket under the faucet while the water is warming up, rather than simply sending it to the drain. You can then use it to take care of your indoor plants.
- Shorten the shower time. This can be difficult for kids, but it’s easy Shower timer It may help.
- When using soap, turn off the water. Get wet, turn off the water and adjust the soap, put the water back in, rinse and rinse.
- Skip the shower. Unless you’re really sweating, consider skipping the shower occasionally.
The sink is the next place to work to reduce usage: There are two main things you can do to reduce your water usage in your bathroom sink. The first is to install an Aerator. This simple device limits the flow of water through the faucet. And don’t forget to pick it up Aerator Key;These are essential for turning the aerator on and off.
The second thing to do is to turn off the water when brushing your teeth. Also, close the water while shaving while swirling. Both are small, but all of these little things actually go well.
Finally, let’s talk about toilets. If you are serious about reducing your water usage, you can change your toilet. Older toilets may use 3.5 gallons per flush (GPF), but high efficiency models can be used at least as much 1.28 gallons per flash. Local hardware stores can help you determine which high efficiency models are best. This tip may not be the case for everyone, but the saying “If it’s yellow, just be mellow” is another way to save water. (In other words, don’t wash away just the urine in the bowl.)
Save water in the kitchen
Like a bathroom sink, the first thing you should do is to install a faucet aerator in your kitchen sink if you don’t have one yet. If you are planning to change your dishwasher, select a High-efficiency model with expanded consumer reporting It uses much less water to wash your dishes.
When you need to wash dishes by hand, fill the sink with the necessary water, rather than washing and rinsing constantly. You will be surprised at how much water you can use when you run it. You can also do the same thing when washing away fruits and vegetables, filling with water in a bowl, or using it to rinse or scrub them.
Saves water in the laundry room
A highly efficient washing machine is the best way to save water in your laundry room. a Highly efficient washer Uses less water than traditional washing machines. It also removes more water from the clothes before it dries, reducing drying time. Here are a few other tips to help you save water in your laundry room.
- Run the washing machine only if full load is present.
- use Wool dryer ball Reduces drying time.
- Soak the dyed clothes in the sink beforehand. This way you won’t need to wash it twice.
Save water outside
Most lawn care professionals recommend that your lawn receive one inch of water each week. a A rough calculation It can be used to see how much water your lawn needs. You can multiply 0.623 gallons each square foot of the grass. So if your grass is 20 feet x 10 feet, use about 124.6 gallons of water. It’s a considerable amount of water. For this reason, lawns are the first place to see when trying to save water.
If you absolutely don’t want to remove your lawn, or if that’s not an option, follow best practices when it comes to watering. Early mornings are considered the best time for water. You also need to check your sprinklers to ensure that they are actually hitting the grass, not only watering the sidewalks and streets. Also consider making the sprinklers a habit of regularly checking for broken sprinkler heads and pressure drops that could indicate broken pipes in the basement.
If it’s not installed on your lawn, consider pulling out some of it, and even everything, and replacing it with native plants. Native plants are used to the natural amount of water the area receives, so they do not rely on watering them.
If you’re in a garden, consider protecting the water Soaker Hose Or even water cans instead of sprinklers to ingest the plants.
One of the last options to reduce water usage is collecting rainwater. Before that, check your local laws as rainwater collections are not legal everywhere. If you are able to collect rainwater, please refer to our guide on configuring a rainwater collection system.
Can you actually make a difference?
The reality is that the small changes you make in your home will only save a few gallons each day. So you might want to ask: What is the point? Why spend time, energy and perhaps even money to reduce your water consumption?
Just like recycling, the more people do it, the more impact it can have. In Cape Town, South Africa, the government urged its citizens to cut water consumption. They shared advice on how to do so and gave people a certain amount to use every day. They notified residents in April that the water tables in the reservoir had to be cut off from the city’s water supply labeled “Day Zero.” Luckily, Day Zero was pushed back until July. Many expect winter rain to arrive to refill the reservoir.
So many people are committed to following government guidance, which has allowed them to reduce urban water usage and delay zero days. We can make a big impact as each of us saves water in our home and garden.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on March 7th, 2018, and was updated in February 2025.
